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0hannah0banana0's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I would give this a higher rating if i could. Normally my picks tend to be shorter but this was most definitely worth it. The writing really sucked you in
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence
lay_kone's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Animal death, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Physical abuse, Murder, Cancer, Rape, and Suicide
Moderate: War
Minor: Abortion
analia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Suicide
volcanogirl's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book has written by a white woman syndrome with a sprinkling of insanely graphic sexual violence. There's some interesting stuff for sure in here but it's difficult to get past the setup
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
thepagesofmrsd's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tony, Roz and Charis are brought together in friendship through a mutual obsession with, but also dislike of, the elusive and manipulative Zenia. 5 years ago, they attended her memorial service and thought they may be free of her at last. However, Zenia has a way of sticking with you, and has just turned up very much alive...
.
I honestly didn't really know where to begin reviewing this one at first. The Robber Bride is an unexpected and compelling character study into the lives of three very different women, brought together through shared experience.
.
I loved the brutal, honest and engaging writing style which, along with the mysterious concept, helped to create a sense of intrigue from the very start. Who is Zenia? What did she do to have such a profound impact? How is she alive, and why are our three main characters seemingly so unsurprised by this?!
.
For those looking for a plot-based novel, this is where you may be disappointed as the answers to those questions are far from forthcoming. Atwood has used an interesting structure here, switching between three points of view in a non-linear way (at first, in fact, retelling the same event from three perspectives). This makes the narrative surrounding Zenia's reappearance feel quite slow, but allows for more in depth exploration of the three friends and their complex histories.
.
For the most part, I was so completely and utterly engrossed in each of the women's lives that the pace didn't bother me much at all, aside from briefly towards the end. There is so much to unpick here, with themes ranging from family, childhood and relationships to womanhood and gender roles, to religion and the impact of war. ⚠️As a content warning, I should also mention that there are scenes involving mental ill health, suicide attempts, and child sexual abuse, that were very difficult to read.
.
Overall, this was a great and unexpected read. It wasn't a quick or an easy choice, and in terms of the advertised plot, you could argue that not a lot actually happened... BUT it was utterly compelling. I would recommend it to fans of slow-paced, character driven reads.
.
I honestly didn't really know where to begin reviewing this one at first. The Robber Bride is an unexpected and compelling character study into the lives of three very different women, brought together through shared experience.
.
I loved the brutal, honest and engaging writing style which, along with the mysterious concept, helped to create a sense of intrigue from the very start. Who is Zenia? What did she do to have such a profound impact? How is she alive, and why are our three main characters seemingly so unsurprised by this?!
.
For those looking for a plot-based novel, this is where you may be disappointed as the answers to those questions are far from forthcoming. Atwood has used an interesting structure here, switching between three points of view in a non-linear way (at first, in fact, retelling the same event from three perspectives). This makes the narrative surrounding Zenia's reappearance feel quite slow, but allows for more in depth exploration of the three friends and their complex histories.
.
For the most part, I was so completely and utterly engrossed in each of the women's lives that the pace didn't bother me much at all, aside from briefly towards the end. There is so much to unpick here, with themes ranging from family, childhood and relationships to womanhood and gender roles, to religion and the impact of war. ⚠️As a content warning, I should also mention that there are scenes involving mental ill health, suicide attempts, and child sexual abuse, that were very difficult to read.
.
Overall, this was a great and unexpected read. It wasn't a quick or an easy choice, and in terms of the advertised plot, you could argue that not a lot actually happened... BUT it was utterly compelling. I would recommend it to fans of slow-paced, character driven reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
fionadonaldsonmcilrath's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Child abuse
Minor: Drug use and Suicide
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